Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Grandmaster from Uzbekistan, Nodirbek Yakubboev, emerged as the winner of the Challengers tournament, held as part of a chess festival in the Czech Republic.

The festival featured three round-robin tournaments: the Masters — the main event, the Challengers — the qualifying stage for the Masters, and the Futures, where winners earned the right to compete in the Challengers group. All three tournaments took place simultaneously at the same venue. In addition to these, the festival program included open tournaments, rapid chess competitions, and other side events.

As the highest-rated player in the Challengers, Nodirbek Yakubboev delivered a confident performance, securing five wins and four draws, without suffering a single loss. As a result, he and Danish player Jonas Buhl Bjerre both scored 7 points out of a possible 9, finishing one point ahead of their closest competitors. Yakubboev's ultimate success was sealed with a tiebreak victory in the second game.

This victory not only earned Yakubboev a spot in next year’s prestigious Masters group but also brought him closer to his career-high rating, which now stands at 2665.